The present invention relates to a safety binding for a ski and has particular reference to a safety binding of the kind in which a sole clamp is carried on a housing which is pivotally mounted about a transverse axis, and in which the sole clamp can pivot upwardly with the housing about the transverse axis, to release a ski boot upwardly, and can be displaced sideways relative to the housing, to release a ski boot to either side of the binding. Both the sideways and upward release mechanisms include adjustable springs which enable the sole clamp to be located in its normal clamping position while also being adapted release either upwards or sideways when the release settings of the respective springs are exceeded.
Ski bindings of this kind are generally known as diagonal release safety bindings because not only is sideways and upward release possible but also diagonal releases when the binding simultaneously releases both sideways and upwardly.
One known type of safety binding with upward and sideways release is disclosed in German specification DT-OS 2 448 769 in which a single spring is used both for the upward and for the sideways release. This arrangement allows a spatially compact system to be achieved but it means that any external influences must affect both the sideways and upwards release mechanisms. During a sideways release the release setting for the upward release must simultaneously change and vice versa or, the release mechanism for the other release device will exhibit unnecessary play.
For these reasons it is also known, from German specification DT-OS 2 364 298 to provide two independent release mechanisms for the upwards and sideways release which are provided with independently operating upward and sideways release springs. However, for this known safety binding the constructional and spatial demands are relatively large, and accordingly expensive and troublesome and the common adjustment of the release settings of the two springs is not possible.
The prime object of the present invention is thus to provide a safety ski binding of the diagonal release type which, despite the use of two independent release springs for sideways and upwards release, can be compactly constructed and which is suitable for manufacture by mass production means. The efficiency and reliability of release should not in any way be disadvantageously affected by the constructional measures taken to ensure compactness.